author
Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise
1857–1935
A key figure in British prison reform, this civil servant is best remembered for helping create the Borstal system for young offenders. His writing offers a firsthand look at how ideas about punishment and rehabilitation were changing in early 20th-century England.
1 Audiobook
The English Prison System
by Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise
About the author
Born in Essex in 1857, Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise became one of the most influential voices in British prison administration. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, then entered public service and later worked closely with several Home Secretaries before moving into prison administration.
He served as a prison commissioner and went on to chair the Prison Commission, playing a central role in reforms to the prison system in England and Wales. He is especially associated with the development of the Borstal system, which aimed to deal differently with young offenders and became one of his best-known legacies.
Ruggles-Brise also wrote about the history and structure of the prison system, including The English Prison System. He died in 1935, remembered as both an administrator and a reformer whose work shaped debates about discipline, custody, and rehabilitation.